Colorado WR Lemonious-Craig enters portal a day after monster spring game

Deion Sanders is losing one of his top receivers.

Colorado wideout Montana Lemonious-Craig is entering the transfer portal, according to The Athletic's Stewart Mandel.

Lemonious-Craig thanked the school and its fan base Sunday night on Twitter.

The news comes as a surprise, as Lemonious-Craig put on a show and led the Buffaloes with 154 yards on three catches during the team's spring football game Saturday in front of a school record crowd. The California native, who topped Colorado with 23 receptions in 2022, scored a 98-yard catch-and-run touchdown Saturday.

Lemonious-Craig finished last season with 359 yards (15.6 per catch) and three touchdowns.

Lemonious-Craig isn't the only Colorado player eyeing a change of scenery. Wide receiver Chase Sowell also announced he's entering the transfer portal after one season with the Buffaloes, and 2024 four-star cornerback Ju'Juan Johnson decommitted from the program Sunday.

Last season's leading receiver Jordyn Tyson also joined the transfer portal Monday. Tyson caught 22 passes for 470 yards with four touchdowns in 2022.

Colorado's football program kicked off a new era this year by hiring Sanders as head coach. The Buffaloes have struggled lately, posting a 9-21 record over the last three seasons, including a 1-11 campaign in 2022. The team hasn't recorded a winning season since 2016.

Sanders immediately impacted Colorado and helped the school land several new starters via the transfer portal, including quarterback Shedeur Sanders, Deion's son.